1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cassette loading apparatus mounted within a frame which is provided with a cassette holder which moves between a cassette inserting position and a cassette loading position while holding a cassette therein.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a prior art cassette loading apparatus used in a digital audio tape recorder (DAT). A frame 1 is formed of a top frame 1a and two side frames or walls 1b and is generally U-shaped in cross section. The side frames are secured to the top frame 1a by means of bolts 5. The respective side frames are formed with an L-shaped first and second guiding slots 2a and 2b therein. A cassette holder 3 holds a cassette therein and is moved by a drive source (not shown) between a cassette-inserting position and a cassette-loading position, being guided in the first and second guiding slots 2a and 2b by a first and second guiding pins 4a and 4b which project from each side of the cassette holder 3 into the guiding slots 2a and 2b.
The cassette is first inserted into the cassette holder 3 which holds the cassette therein. Then, the cassette holder 3 is moved by the drive source, the guiding pins 4a and 4b are moved in the L-shaped guiding slots from the cassette inserting position to the cassette-loading position, then a positioning post engages a positioning recess (not shown) and reel shafts advance into the reel holes formed in the cassette, whereby the cassette is loaded at the cassette loading position.
With the aforementioned prior art apparatus, the cassette holder 3 is assembled into the frame 1 in a procedure shown in FIG. 5. The first and second guiding pins 4a and 4b are inserted into the guiding slots 2a and 2b while at the same time the top frame 1a and the two side frames 1b are assembled together by means of the bolts 5 for an integral construction. However, this procedure is time-consuming and requires a skillful worker.